Method of operating vapor electric apparatus.



P. H. THOMAS.

METHOD OF OPERATING VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1902.

1,163,706. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

J u .1 2 SHEETS-SHEET I. W

W/ TNE SSE S A TTOHNE Y3.

P. H. THOMAS.

METHOD OF OPERATING VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1901.

1,163,706. Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

1 mm .2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES VENTOH b fl/W [Q4 ATTOHNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY H. THOMAS, 0F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF OPERATING VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1915.

Application filed November 4, 1907. Serial No. 400,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Montclair, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Operating Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a' specification.

The present invention relates to that class of circuits in which special means are provided for maintaining the negative electrode of a gas or vapor electric device in continapparatus after such discontinuity. Annmber of means have been proposed for avoiding this difliculty and are now well known in the art. The present invention serves to provide particular means of accomplishing this result which has certain features of advantage above any of the other methods.

Broadly speaking, this invention utilizes a shunt path to the main load through which current is taken at such times as is necessary for bridging any discontinuity in the demands of the receiving circuit. It is evident that when desired current may be taken at any other desired times or at all times.

The particular means which may in certain cases be used for utilizing this invention are shown in connection with the following drawings of which Figure 1 represents a vapor converter sup plying a direct current receiving circuit and kept alive by a circuit in shunt to the receiv'ing circuit and containinga certain in ductance; Fig. 2 illustrates a similar circuit in which an additional inductance is used for steadying the fiow of current to the receiving circuit; Fig. 3 shows an arrangement of circuits similar to Fig. 1, utilizing a modification of the inductance and an ad- 'omizing energy and facilitating operation.

In Fig. 1 is illustrated a transformer primary, 1, supplying energy to its secondary, 2, whose terminals are connected with positive electrodes, 4 and 5, of a vapor electric device, 3, whose negative electrode is 6, and a work circuit, 8, connected between the negative electrode 6 and the middle point, 16, of the transformer secondary 2. A resistance 10 and an inductance, 9, are connected through the switch, 11, in shunt across the load 8 which is in turn controlled by the switch, 12. The rectifier 3 is provided with a starting band adjacent to the negative electrode 6, and also connected to the common point of the resistance 15 and the vapor kick switch, 13, which are bridged across the electrodes 5 and 6. A switch, 14c, is interposed adjacent to the resistance 15 for opening the starting circuit. The vapor kick switch 13 is a mercury vapor apparatus adapted for discontinuous operation, being started either by motion of its container or magnetically, or by other suitable means. In view of its discontinuous operation there will be a high voltage produced at the points of discontinuity, which high voltage is impressed upon the starting band and the positive electrode 5 when the organization of circuits is started into operation upon the application of electrical energy. This high tension will start the rectifier into operation by a method originally described by Peter Cooper Hewitt in certain patents issued to him on the 17th day of September, 1901, and now well-known in the art, for example Patents Nos. 682,690 to 682,699 inclusive. I find that an absolute discontinuity in operation of the device 13 is not required in many instances, for there are sufficiently numerous and high impulses of electromotive force produced by conditions of unstable operation which may be secured in the device 13 by suitable adjustments of current, inductances, and other conditions. One favorable method of producing discontinuity or unstableness, or a combination of both, in the device 13 is by limiting the current flow therethrough to a small value or by maintaining a low temperature of the negative electrode.

The general operation of the device is as follows: The secondary 2 passes current alternately through the positive electrodes 4 and 5 according to the direction of the alternations to the negative electrode 6 and thence through the switch 11 which is assumed closed, the inductance 9, the resistance, 10, back to the middle point of the transformer secondary 16. At points of insufficientvoltage of the supply, energy previously stored in the inductance 9 is discharged in the original direction through the resistance 10, the middle point 16, of the transformer secondary 2, the electrodes 4 and 5, and 6, to the coil again. If, now, the switch 12 be closed, at times when the voltage of the supply, which is impressed upon the circuit including the inductance 9 and the resistance 10, is high enough to be of service in the receiving circuit, current will flow therethrough from the converter in addition to the current taken in the shunt including 9 and 10 and useful effeet is produced thereby. If, however, the receiving circuit be 'temporarily in a condition in which it receives a. low amount or no energy, current may in some cases practically cease to flow to the receiving circuit but the current passing through the shunt circuit containing 9 and 10, will maintain the rectifier 3 in operative condition as is well understood. The resistance 15 serves to control the starting current through the device 13 on the initial starting of the apparatus. The switch 14 may, in some cases, be used for rendering the starting circuit inoperative, though the. device 13 may also serve this function. i

In Fig. 2 a transformer primary 1, supplies energy to its secondary 2 whose terminals are connected to positive electrodes 4 and 5 of the vapor rectifier 3 having a negative electrode 6 and a supplementary electrode, 50, and a work circuit- 22, receiving current through an inductance coil, 20, from the electrode 6, delivering it to the middle, point of the transformer secondary 2. A shunt circuit containing a cut-out, 21, and an inductance, 9, a resistance, 10, connects the negative electrode 6 with the middle point of the transformer secondary 2. The supplementary electrode 50 is connected through switch 19, and a resistance 63, with the point of connection between the inductance 9 and the resistance 10. It is also connected through the switch 33 and the resistance 63 with the middle point of the transformer secondary 2; and through the switch 18 with the lead of the positive electrode 4, in the latter case through the re sistance 17. It is also connected through a switch 51, and the resistance 63, with the positive side of the work circuit, 22. The cut-out 21, is in operative relation to the coil 20. The switch 12 is interposed in the connection between the negative electrode 6 and the coil 20. Any type of direct current apparatus may be utilized in the work circuit 22, for example, motor 52, storage battery 53, or resistance devices 54, 54. The operation of this figure is in general the same as that of Fig. 1. However, in Fig. 2 the coil 20 serves to steady the flow of current to the work circuit 22 so that any desired approach to perfect constancy may be secured. Coil 20 serves as well to open the cut-out 21 when the current to the work circuit exceeds a predetermined value which may be taken as a value great enough to maintain the rectifier 3 in an operative condition. The supplementary electrode 50 which may, when desired, be of mercury, is adapted on motion of the rectifier 3 to make metallic contact with the negative electrode 6. The starting operation then consists in applying energy to the system, allowing current to pass through the resistance 17 the switch 18, between the electrode 50 and 6, through the work circuit or the shunt circuit containing 9 and 10 back to the secondary 2 and then separating electrodes 50 and 6 while still carrying such current. By repeating this operation until the separation occurs at directly through the switch 19, the electrode 50, the electrode 6, the cut-out 21, or the switch 33 may be closed and the switch 19 may be opened, in which case energy from the inductance 9 will be discharged through the'resistance 10 through the switch 33 to the electrode 50 to the electrode 6, and the cut-out 21, thus avoiding the transformer secondary 2. Or, the coil 20 may be caused to discharged energy similarly through the electrode 50 and the electrode 6 in a similar manner, by closing the switch 51. Evidently, either or both of these coils will discharge at times when the supply electromotive force is deficient so that when the parts are properly designed, a perfectly continuous flow of current is maintained through the electrode 6. The switch 18 serves to deenergize the starting circuit. The resistance 63 in the lead of the electrode 50 beyond the connection to the switch 18 serves to force starting current through the electrodes 50 and 6.

In Fig. 3, in general, the operation is the same as in Fig. 2 and the parts have the same function and description as the similarly numbered parts in the last named figure. In Fig. 3 is provided, however, a separate starting electrode, 26, being adapted to connect metallically with the negative electrode 6 on motion of the rectifier 3. An electrode of solid material 23 is provided for receiving energy discharged from the energy storing device for maintaining the negative electrode 6 in operative condition. In this figure, by utilizing an additional winding, 25,

,wound in close inductive relation to the winding 24, which is located and connected similarly to the inductance 9 of Fig. 2, I may store energy through the combined windings 24 and 25 and discharge it through the winding 24 only, in virtue of the relatively low resistance of the path including the switch 19, the electrodes 23 and 6. Since the negative electrode 6 has a certain minimum operating current value, the current in the coil 24 must not be less than this minimum. Therefore, in arrangement of Fig. 2, the resistance 10 must carry this value of current which, in some cases, causes a waste of energy, but by properly proportioning the coils 25 and 24 of Fig. 3, energy can be stored at a much less current by their combined action and still be discharged at the necessary value through the coil 24 alone. In Fig. 3, in those cases where desired, as, for instance, where a motor armature, 58, and its field coil, 60, are operated on direct current in the receiving circuit, the current in the field coil 60 being controlled by the resistance 61, I may connect the supplementary electrode 26 with the lead of the field 60 remote from the negative electrode 6 through the switch 62 located in the connecting wire, 100. In this case, at times of low supply, the energy stored in the field magnet 60 will discharge itself practically without loss through the switch 62 and the supplementary electrode 26 and the negative electrode 6, the switch 12, back to the coil 60, and this action may occur at the same time as the discharge from the coil 24 through the switch 19, the supplementary electrode 23, the negative electrode 6 and the cut-out 21.

The general principle of the discharge of energy from an inductance through the rectifier without including the original circuit has been described in my application Serial Number 146,282, filed March 5, 1903, and divisional cases including applications, Serial Numbers 155,927, 212,476, and 554,401, filed respectively May 6th, 1903, June 4th, 1904 and April 9th, 1910. The improvement upon the above named invention which is claimed in the present application is the utilization of this general principle in the maintenance of the operating condition of a system in which the useful consumption of energy in the work circuit cannot at all times be relied upon for preventing the establishment of the negative electrode resistance as, for example, in cases where a motor in intermlttent use is fed by such a rectifier, or where a translating device inherently requires an intermittent current ,as an inductlon coil supplying an X-ray apparatus or other device.

In Fig. 4, the operation is, in general, sim lar to the operation of Figs. 2 and 3, and various parts are constructed and connected slmilarly to the similarly numbered parts of Fig. 2. In Fig. 4, the coil 28 is connected to the negative electrode 6 by one terminal. and by the other terminal to the positive lead of the load circuit 30, through a magnet coil, 31, and to the shunt circuit, 10, through the cut-out 32, which is in operative relation to the magnet coil 31. The middle point of the transformer secondary 2 connects with the negative side of the work circuit and through the switch 29 with the shunt resistance 10. The supplementary electrode 50 is connected through the switch 34 and the resistance 65 with the junction point of the cut-out 32 and the coil 28; through the resistance 17 and the switch 18 to the lead of the positive electrode 5; through the resistance 64 and the switch 55- with the negative side of the work circuit; and through the switch 56 with the field 57, of the motor armature, 58, which may form part of the load circuit 30. By suitably opening and closing the switches 34, 55, 56, the energy stored by the coil 28, as described for the coils, 9, 24, of previous figures, may be discharged either directly through the electrodes 50 and 6 or through the total work circuit 30 and the electrodes 50 and 6, or through a portion of the work circuit as, for example, the field coil 57 of the motor armature 58, through the electrode 50 and 6, as may be desired, for the conditions of the system. It is evident that in all cases when the switch 29 is closed and the current in the load circuit is insufficient to operate the cutout 32 that, provided the parts are properly proportioned, a suflicient current will be taken at all times through the resistance 10 and the coil 28, and the negative electrode 6 tomaintain the rectifier 3 in operative condition.

In Fig. 5 is'illustrated a modification of the coil 28 serving to economize the energy utilized for keeping the converter alive and facilitating its discharge. In this figure is utilized a second winding 37 in addition to the winding 36, formed and connected similarly to the coil 28 of Fig. 4 so that energy may be stored through the coil 36 only and discharged through the two coils and the switch 59 connected between the winding 37 and the electrode 23 to the electrode 6. It will thus be seen that by discharging the energy stored at the relatively high current through the winding 36 will be discharged at any desired lower current through the two coils 36 and 37, by properly. proportioning these coils.

It will be understood that in the above described circuits 1 have illustrated only a certain number of the methods by which this present inventionmay be utilized and that in general any modification of these circuits which involve the principle of the maintenance of the vapor converter, which is here described in an operative system as a shunt path across the work circuit, comes within its. scope.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a supply circuit, a mercury vapor rectifier having a plurality of positive electrodes a negative electrode of vaporizable material, and a supplementary electrode, and connections between the supply and the rectifier, of 'a direct current work circuit, and inductance and resistance in shunt thereto, and a connection from an intermediate point of the inductance to the -'supplementary electrode.

2. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a mercury vapor rectifier including suitable electrodes and a supplemental anode, of a work circuit connectedto the cathode, an inductance and a resistance connected in shunt to said Work circuit, the inductance being connected between said resistance and said cathode and a connection between a point of said shunt circuit between said cathode and said resistance and the said supplemental electrode, the work circuit requiring a continuous flow of current.

3. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a mercury vapor rectifier including suitable electrodes and a supplemental anode, of a work circuit connected to the cathode, an inductance and a resistance connected in shunt to said work circuit, the inductance being connected between said resistance and said cathode and a connection between a point of said shunt circuit between said resistance and said cathode and the said supplemental electrode, the work circuit requiring a continuous flow of current, and automatic means for disconnecting said shunt inductance and resistance during periods of normal operation in said work circuit.

Signed at New York in the county ofNew York, and State of New York, this 2nd day of November A. D. 1907. J

I PERCY H. THOMAS. Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, -'THos. H. BROWN. 

